Undesirable infections can be caused by a variety of microbes, including microbes such as fungi and antibacterial-resistant bacteria that are notoriously difficult to treat. Such microbial infections are sometimes capable of causing an abscess in a subject. An abscess is a localized accumulation of pus and/or inflammation in a tissue or organ. An abscess can form, for example, on the skin or on other tissues or organs of the subject, causing swelling and pain.
Traditional treatment for abscesses includes piercing or cutting open the abscess to remove the puss and infectious material, and treatment with antibiotics, e.g., oral, topical, injectable. Depending on the size and the location of the abscess, such traditional treatment can be successful; however, for certain abscesses, e.g., relatively large abscesses, and/or abscesses caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria or otherwise resistant microbes, such traditional treatment can be insufficiently effective.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for effective methods for treating microbial infections and abscessed tissues.